<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BANGKOK: A bipartisan group of US lawmakers pushed for more military-to-military dialogue in a meeting Sunday with China&#39;s Premier Li Qiang, a rare congressional visit since the US-China relations soured. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last trip by a group of senators was in 2023, and Sunday&#39;s delegation was the first from the House of Representatives to visit Beijing since 2019. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Li welcomed the delegates led by Rep. Adam Smith called it an &ldquo;icebreaking trip that will further the ties between the two countries.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;It is important for our two countries to have more exchanges and cooperation, this is not only good for our two countries but also of great significance to the world,&rdquo; Li said. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Smith, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said both sides were in agreement on the overarching aim of the visit. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;Certainly, trade and economy is on the top of the list ... (but also) we&rsquo;re very focused on our military-to-military conversations,&rdquo; he said in opening remarks. &ldquo;As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I&rsquo;m deeply concerned that our two militaries don&rsquo;t communicate more.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The delegation also included Michael Baumgartner, a Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Ro Khanna and Chrissy Houlahan, both Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee. The lawmakers are in China until Thursday. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US-China relations have taken a downturn since President Donald Trump&#39;s first term and have been hobbled by trade tensions, the status of the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, Beijing&#39;s support for Russia and China&#39;s vast claims in the disputed South China Sea. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;China and the US are the two most powerful and influential countries in the world, it&rsquo;s really important that we get along, and we find a way to peacefully coexist in the world,&quot; Smith said. &quot;I really welcome your remarks about wanting to build and strengthen that relationship.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trump said he would meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a regional summit taking place at the end of October in South Korea and will visit China in the &ldquo;early part of next year,&rdquo; following a lengthy phone call between the two on Friday.

China's Premier Li Qiang at the  46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit 

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A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers pushed for more military-to-military dialogue in a meeting Sunday with China's Premier Li Qiang.

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US lawmakers call for military dialogue in rare China visit